Should you prefer to cut with power on, the
Scorpion lance should require no more than 150 amps at the tip.
However, the lance will also burn with no electrical power, once
ignited, as long as the oxygen flow is maintained. The lance
burns at approximately 6000 °C (10,000 °F) a temperature
that will melt most materials with ease. The principle of
operation, having ignited the arc is to allow oxygen to flow down
through the centre of the lance. This creates and maintains an
exothermic reaction, which will continue to burn, with or without
the power, until the oxygen flow is stopped.